L4D: Why is Zoey a better character than Rochelle?

[Berethond]

Zoey's better. Rochelle annoyed me. High-pitched screaming whenever something grabs her? No thanks.

I play as Nick though. Because he's a man of action.

Ellis: "I can't believe you shot the pilot, man."
Nick: "He wasn't doing a very good job flying the helicopter, now, was he?"
Rochelle: "That's true. My least favorite part of the flight was when he stopped flying the helicopter and attacked us."

Best dialogue ever.

 

[HantuDuppy]

Zoey hums Final Fantasy music when she's nervous. She seems like the kind of girl I could date or at least be best friends with. She doesn't need alot of storyline or dialogue. I just like her archetype.
Rochelle grates my nerves. She isn't like anyone I get along with. When she shuts up Ellis, she reminds me of people who are dismissive of me. It doesn't matter how much storyline she has, I hate her archetype.

 

[MasterKirov]

If Rochelle is indeed unpopular, it's because everyone (possibly excluding Nick) is based on a Black/Southern stereotype.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Zoey hums Final Fantasy music when she's nervous. .

.....what? I've never heard this in the game. I've heard her hum, but not hum anything from Final Fantasy. I'm pretty sure it's just random humming. Rochelle does the same thing.

Zoey actually seemed to have a personality. Rochelle seems to be a generic civilian. She never says anything vaguely interesting, amusing or about her background. Nothing. Just "now's not a good time Ellis".

And your telling me Zoey does say interesting things about her backstory? Art least Rochelle acknowledges that she was in the news a few times. Zoey never talks about her backstory.

 

[Avatar Roku]

because zoey was voiced my the overlord of videogame female voices.

Jen Taylor is the Ron Perlman of female voice acting.

Jen Taylor's alright, but she's got nothing on Jennifer Hale.

Though honestly the whole cast of L4D2 isn't as good as L4D1. Coach is that perfect combination of badass and comic relief that pretty much all the characters in the first game had, so I suppose he's the exception. Nick is cool but that's really his only characteristic so he isn't very fun, Ellis is a dumbass, and Rochelle is annoying.

Yeah, but Ellis is also the Scout, so your argument is invalid

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

I just have to blink.... they are depth-less characters that have as much back ground and character as a plank of wood. After all they are computer game avatars that we just poke around to feel like gods.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

I never realy thought Rochelle as abitch, she seemed quite "motherly" when i played. She does treat Ellis like a 12 year old child, and she talks like a mother handing out apple pie when she heals you.

Is it just me?

That's the impression I got, too. She does call Ellis "sweetie," after all, and is all "Oh, come on, let's get you all patched up!" when she heals.

Now here's a question for you, Funk. Do you think this game would have been better as a result if the characters were all Stereotypes? Personally, I think stereotype-heavy dialogue would irritate me and I consider it to be not the best of writing.

And as Kraken has said above, the first group were not completely well-developed (I'm hearing a lot of "But Zoey probably had" in a sense when people defend her, they're almost fabricating a past for her) while some obviously were, others certainly weren't.

Plus I don't think the setting is suitable for stereotypes of almost cartoon like proportions. I'm glad they left such a thing out.

And also, what are your thoughts on Zoey vs Rochelle?

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Zoey hums Final Fantasy music when she's nervous. .

.....what? I've never heard this in the game. I've heard her hum, but not hum anything from Final Fantasy. I'm pretty sure it's just random humming. Rochelle does the same thing.

I'm trying to figure out if or when that happens, I think I need proof. The only bit of dialogue I remember pertaining to a game was Louis when he picks up a carbine and says "this is just like that video game, Counter-Strike!" ( O_O Que? ).

I do also think you make a good point, Kraken. Original survivors had two weeks together before we found them, while the L4D2 survivors just met.

 

[Ham Blitz]

For me, it is just she seems just kind of there. I mean, when I play, except for when reloading, healing, or telling Ellis to tell the story later in a polite manner, she never really says much. I have started to not hate Rochelle that much lately as I have sometimes played as her, and she started to say things, like mentioning she was in the news.
I don't really see her as being a ***** though, since I the funeral thing seemed kind of like lighthearted joke, not really a "I'm a *****" comment, and she usually tells Ellis to stop with something like "Sweetie, This isn't really the right time" or something around those lines.
Edit: One more note, I have had every single character tell Ellis to stop telling a story, so I don't think that is just a Rochelle thing.

 

[Cosplay Horatio]

My favorite chick from the L4D series Zoey. Favorite characters for me to play as overall are Nick, Ellis, and Francis.

 

[Souplex]

None of the characters in one had any depth beyond their description.
Louis: Normal work a day schlub.
Francis: Angry biker.
Bill: Old veteran (I forget which war, but he is in really good shape for an old guy.)
Zoey: College girl who likes zombie movies.
I don't really know the cast of 2, because I don't like the idea of giving money to a game that thinks co-op means gimping everyone horribly.
Also, Rochelle is totally hotter than Zoey.

Spoiler: Warning, the contents of this spoiler will make you feel like a bad person for laughing

 

[HantuDuppy]

Zoey hums Final Fantasy music when she's nervous. .

.....what? I've never heard this in the game. I've heard her hum, but not hum anything from Final Fantasy. I'm pretty sure it's just random humming. Rochelle does the same thing.

I'm trying to figure out if or when that happens, I think I need proof. The only bit of dialogue I remember pertaining to a game was Louis when he picks up a carbine and says "this is just like that video game, Counter-Strike!" ( O_O Que? ).

I do also think you make a good point, Kraken. Original survivors had two weeks together before we found them, while the L4D2 survivors just met.

(Zoey: Final Fantasy Theme 01-03, 04 is the fanfare from FF \left4dead\sound\player\survivor\voice\TeenGir l\NervousHumming01.wav)
Source: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=746172

 

[RanD00M]

I think I'm the only dude who enjoys playing her-_-

I usually demand to play Zoey.I have no idea why,but i always feel better when i´m playing female characters in video games.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Zoey won a place in my heart when, on the elevator in No Mercy she says: "I can't get over how fast they are. I call like. . . zombie bullshit".

 

[Archemetis]

In the opening cut-scenes for both games I found myself thinking two things...

L4D: "Man, I'm so playing as Zoey..." "Why?" "I always play the gir..." "Oh yeah..."
L4D2: Man I'm just not interested in playing Rochelle at all" "but you always play the girl?" "Yeah I know... But I really just wanna play Ellis this time..."

It's really all about who's more interesting when it comes to me.
Zoey was for some reason interesting to me... and my mate already called Bill.

In L4D2 I just had no reason to like Rochelle and Ellis just completely sold me on the "Kill all sons'a bitches..." line.

 

[John Funk]

Rochelle is just... annoying. Zoey was never that interesting of a character either, but I like her better than Rochelle. I really have no good explanation for it, I just never cared for Rochelle.

And here's an open letter to video game makers: Can we please have some black characters that aren't just stereotypes?

I actually think Rochelle and Coach are ... pretty non-stereotypical, to be honest.

I never realy thought Rochelle as abitch, she seemed quite "motherly" when i played. She does treat Ellis like a 12 year old child, and she talks like a mother handing out apple pie when she heals you.

Is it just me?

That's the impression I got, too. She does call Ellis "sweetie," after all, and is all "Oh, come on, let's get you all patched up!" when she heals.

Now here's a question for you, Funk. Do you think this game would have been better as a result if the characters were all Stereotypes? Personally, I think stereotype-heavy dialogue would irritate me and I consider it to be not the best of writing.

And as Kraken has said above, the first group were not completely well-developed (I'm hearing a lot of "But Zoey probably had" in a sense when people defend her, they're almost fabricating a past for her) while some obviously were, others certainly weren't.

Plus I don't think the setting is suitable for stereotypes of almost cartoon like proportions. I'm glad they left such a thing out.

And also, what are your thoughts on Zoey vs Rochelle?

I'm glad they didn't go for total stereotypes, I agree. It would have been irritating if every time Coach swung the baseball bat he was all "swinging' for the fences!" or something sports related. Ellis may say "Gonna make me some zombie grits" when he picks up the frying pan every now and again, but he also says "Heh, I always wanted to be an axe murderer!" when he grabs the axe.

I really didn't play L4D1 that much so I really don't have much attachment to the old characters, but from what I've seen of Zoey and Rochelle, I don't think Zoey's really all that much better than her - Rochelle is likeable enough, she's got some funny lines, and kind of a motherly attitude especially towards Ellis. I think that she doesn't have a personality "hook" like the other three, which might be the cause of people not finding her as interesting, but I don't dislike her at all.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

No she doesn't.

See, that's all your post says to me. I've provided 7 good reasons and you've just answered with "No, she doesn't". I'm afraid I can't really argue with flat out denials.

 

[Internet Kraken]

No she doesn't.

See, that's all your post says to me. I've provided 7 good reasons and you've just answered with "No, she doesn't". I'm afraid I can't really argue with flat out denials.

Perhaps I said that because your statements were not accurate? People constantly embellish Zoey with qualities she did not have.

 

[cl20]

Zoey also embodies this innocent school girl typ of girl, which rises in some the need to protect this innocent charakter and so make her more likable then the other 3 human shields, rochell is just a hard charakter like the others. Its not so much that i don't like rochell its simply the fact that she replaced a diffrent charakter with that what we already have.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

I actually think Rochelle and Coach are ... pretty non-stereotypical, to be honest.

Just watch about a minute of that video...